CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWO: THE LITTLE CHANGES
The beginning of a relationship was supposed to feel exciting.
At least, that was what I thought.
For the first few weeks after Samuel asked me to be his girlfriend, everything felt different in the smallest and most beautiful ways.
Nothing around us had actually changed. The school still woke us up before sunrise. The bells still dragged us from our beds. The hostel was still filled with thirty girls arguing over buckets, soap, uniforms and whose turn it was to sweep. Teachers still gave us assignments as though we had nothing else to do with our lives.
Yet somehow, everything seemed brighter.
Even Monday mornings did not feel as terrible.
Sometimes, I would walk into class and find Samuel already seated beside me, his books arranged neatly on his desk.
He would look at me.
I would look at him.
Then one of us would smile.
That was enough.
We had not suddenly become a different pair of people. We were still Floral and Samuel—two students who had known each other for years, two seat partners who had spent countless lessons pretending not to notice each other.
But now there was something between us.
Something neither of us had to question anymore.
It was ours.
And for a while, I was convinced that nothing could ruin it.
That Monday morning, I entered the classroom with my books pressed against my chest.
Samuel was already there.
He looked up as soon as he saw me.
"You're late."
I frowned.
"I am not late."
"You are."
I glanced towards the wall clock.
"There are still five minutes before assembly."
He shrugged.
"Still late."
I dropped my books on the desk.
"You just wanted to complain."
"Maybe."
I tried not to smile.
He noticed anyway.
"There," he said quietly.
"What?"
"That smile."
I rolled my eyes.
"You're becoming annoying."
"And yet you still like me."
I looked around quickly.
"Keep your voice down!"
Samuel laughed softly.
Nobody seemed to have heard him.
At the far end of the classroom, Daniel was arranging his books while Gift sat beside him. Victoria and Morayo were talking near the windows.
I caught Victoria looking at us.
She raised her eyebrows.
I immediately looked away.
Samuel leaned closer.
"Your friends are watching."
"They are not my friends."
He looked at me.
"They are getting there."
I followed his gaze.
Victoria and Morayo had definitely been trying harder lately.
They no longer behaved as though every interaction with me was a competition. Sometimes they saved a seat for me during certain activities. Sometimes Morayo asked about my assignments. Victoria had even shared her notes with me once.
It was strange.
Not unpleasant.
Just strange.
"Maybe," I whispered.
The bell rang.
Everyone stood.
We headed towards assembly.
The morning sun was already beginning to burn through the cool air, and students moved across the compound in long lines. Prefects shouted instructions while teachers watched from different corners.
I walked with Victoria and Morayo.
Samuel stayed with some of the boys.
Even though we were dating, we had agreed that we did not need to make it obvious.
Boarding-school rumours travelled faster than anything.
One minute, two people could be discussing homework.
The next minute, someone would be saying they had seen them holding hands behind the dining hall.
I had already learnt that lesson.
After assembly, we returned to class for Mathematics.
Our teacher walked in carrying a pile of exercise books.
The entire class groaned.
He looked at us over his glasses.
"I can hear you."
The room became silent.
He dropped the books on his table.
"We are going to revise everything we have done so far."
Samuel sighed beside me.
I glanced at him.
"You don't like Mathematics?"
"I like Mathematics."
"You just sighed."
"I sighed because I am tired."
"Of Mathematics?"
He looked at me.
"Of you."
I stared at him.
Then he smiled.
I tried not to laugh.
The lesson began.
For almost forty minutes, we worked quietly.
Samuel occasionally leaned over to check my work, and I did the same with his.
At one point, he whispered, "You got number four wrong."
I frowned.
"I didn't."
"You did."
I checked my calculation again.
He was right.
I scratched out the answer.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
There was something comforting about moments like that.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing extraordinary.
Just us.
When the teacher turned to the board, Samuel pushed a tiny folded piece of paper towards me.
I stared at it.
Then I opened it beneath my desk.
You're cute when you're concentrating.
I immediately looked at him.
He was staring straight ahead as though he had done nothing.
I wrote underneath it.
You're distracting me.
I pushed it back.
A few seconds later, it returned.
That's the plan.
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.
"Floral."
I froze.
The teacher was looking directly at me.
"Yes, sir?"
"Since you seem to be enjoying yourself, come and solve this."
A few people laughed.
I stood up.
Samuel lowered his head, trying to hide his smile.
I gave him a quick glare before walking to the board.
I solved the question correctly.
When I returned to my seat, Samuel whispered, "Show-off."
"You caused it."
"I inspired you."
"You distracted me."
"And you still got it right."
I smiled.
For the rest of the lesson, I could not stop thinking about how strange happiness was.
Sometimes, it did not arrive with fireworks.
Sometimes, it was simply a folded piece of paper hidden beneath a Mathematics exercise book.
At break, the classroom became noisy.
Students rushed towards the canteen while others stayed behind to finish assignments.
Samuel remained seated.
"So," he said.
"So?"
"What are you eating?"
"I don't know."
"You always say that."
"Because I don't know."
He laughed.
"I'll get something."
Before I could protest, he stood.
"Samuel."
He turned.
"What?"
"You don't have to keep buying things for me."
"I know."
"Then stop."
He smiled.
"I'll think about it."
He walked away before I could respond.
I shook my head.
Daniel passed by with Gift.
He stopped briefly.
"You're smiling."
I looked at him.
"No, I'm not."
"You are."
Gift glanced at me, then at the direction Samuel had gone.
She smiled faintly.
"I think we know why."
I looked down.
Daniel laughed.
"Relax. We're not going to expose you."
"Thank you."
Gift nudged him.
"Come on. We're going to the canteen."
Daniel followed her.
I watched them leave.
There was nothing unusual about the moment, but something about it stayed in my mind.
Daniel had always been thoughtful towards me.
He still was.
But recently, I had noticed that he sometimes became unusually quiet whenever Samuel was around.
I wondered whether I was imagining it.
I decided not to think about it.
Samuel returned with a small snack.
I stared at it.
"You really don't listen."
"I listen."
"You just don't obey."
"Exactly."
I laughed.
He sat beside me.
For a few minutes, we talked about schoolwork, teachers and the ridiculous amount of assignments we had received.
Then Samuel became quiet.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"You're thinking about something."
He looked at me.
"I was just wondering how things are going to be when we get into SS2 properly."
I frowned.
"We're already in SS2."
"I know."
"Then why are you acting as though we're travelling somewhere?"
He smiled.
"I don't know."
I studied his face.
"Are you worried?"
"No."
"Samuel."
He sighed.
"Not worried. Just thinking."
"About what?"
He looked down at his hands.
"Things change."
His words caught me off guard.
"What things?"
"Everything."
I waited.
He continued.
"Classes change. People change. Responsibilities change. We won't always have things this easy."
I stared at him.
I did not like the sound of that.
"Why are you saying this?"
"Because it's true."
"But that doesn't mean anything has to happen to us."
He looked at me.
"I know."
"Then don't think too much."
He smiled.
"Okay."
I smiled back.
But something had changed.
Not between us.
Inside me.
For the first time since we started dating, I realised that happiness could make you afraid.
Because once you had something you loved, you could suddenly imagine losing it.
That afternoon, the school day continued normally.
Classes.
Assignments.
Notes.
Laughter.
Warnings from teachers.
Nothing unusual.
Yet by evening, I found myself thinking about Samuel's words.
Things change.
During evening prep, I sat quietly with my books open.
Victoria was a few seats away.
Morayo was beside her.
Daniel and Gift were at the far end of the classroom.
Samuel was beside me.
Everyone was busy.
I looked at him.
He was concentrating on his work.
I smiled.
Maybe I was worrying over nothing.
Maybe tomorrow would be exactly like today.
Maybe next week would be the same.
Maybe our relationship would remain this simple.
I wanted to believe that.
After prep, we returned to the hostel.
The room was already loud.
Thirty girls moving around in different directions could turn a normal evening into complete chaos.
Someone was looking for a missing wrapper.
Someone else was complaining about her soap.
Two girls were arguing over a bucket.
A prefect shouted for everyone to keep their voices down.
Gift was at her lower bunk, arranging her belongings.
I climbed onto my upper bunk.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she looked up.
"Floral."
"Yes?"
"Are you happy?"
I paused.
"With what?"
She smiled.
"You know what I mean."
I smiled too.
"Yes."
She nodded.
"Good."
I looked at her.
"You're okay with everything now?"
She understood immediately.
"With you and Samuel?"
I nodded.
Gift was quiet for a moment.
"I told you already. It hurt a little."
"I remember."
"But I'm okay."
She adjusted her pillow.
"I don't want to spend my time being angry at you."
I smiled.
"Thank you."
She shrugged.
"Besides, you're not that bad."
I laughed.
"Wow. What a compliment."
"Don't get used to it."
I smiled.
For the first time, the silence between us did not feel uncomfortable.
It felt normal.
Maybe things really were getting better.
That night, as I lay beneath my mosquito net, I thought about Samuel again.
His smile.
His notes.
His teasing.
His quiet voice during Mathematics.
The way he had said that things changed.
I turned on my side.
I did not know then how much those words would matter.
I did not know that relationships could change without either person deciding they should.
I did not know that distance could exist even when two people sat beside each other every day.
For now, Samuel was still beside me.
For now, I was happy.
And for now, that was enough.